First results of container express between Azerbaijan and Turkey
ADY Container, a dedicated subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways, has unveiled the first results of the TURKUAZ container express. With the intermodal service, 222 containers were transported in June. The freight traffic prevails in the eastbound direction, from Turkey to Azerbaijan.
The TURKUAZ container train has been operating between Turkey and Azerbaijan for three months in a row, since mid-April. However, ADY Container, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways that is focused on intermodal transport, has disclosed the freight statistics on the route for the first time. According to the published data, 222 containers loaded with almost 6,000 tonnes of freight were moved with nine TURKUAZ trains running via the Baky-Tbilisi-Kars railway.
Route specifics
The unveiled results of the TURKUAZ service for June demonstrate two significant specifics of the intermodal connection. First, the eastbound services, namely from Turkey to Azerbaijan, prevail: 140 containers with 3,780 tonnes of freight versus 82 containers with 2,214 tonnes of freight. Second, 45-foot boxes are popular for the westbound shipments (72 versus 10) while 20-foot units are highly demanded for the eastbound shipments (118 versus 22).
As for types of freight, the TURKUAZ trains mainly moved chemical products from Azerbaijan to Turkey. At the same time, the westbound service has a wider range of goods: chemical products, construction materials and sugar. The project is being carried out by three partners: ADY Container from Azerbaijan, Pasifik Eurasia Logistics from Turkey and GR Logistics and Terminals from Georgia.